Oak Ridge, Tenn. – (June 10, 2008) – Everyone is invited to attend the 6th Annual Secret City Festival, and this year, it’ll be easy to get around with FREE shuttle service from designated festival parking areas. With thousands of people expected to attend the festival, parking is being diverted to other locations. Buses will be available for transportation to many of the festival’s exciting events taking place June 20 – 21 at AK Bissell Park.
No vehicles will be allowed to park on-site at AK Bissell Park or at the Civic Center at any time during the festival. All unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Cars with handicap stickers or license plates can drop off handicapped persons at the flagpole in front of the Oak Ridge Library. They may not park on the festival site. After dropping off handicapped persons, the driver should park in one of the designated festival parking areas and ride the shuttle back to the festival grounds.
Parking is available at the Oak Ridge City Center parking lot. Three school buses and three ETHRA handicap accessible buses will be en route to events around the city.
Shuttle rounds will be begin at 9 am on both Friday and Saturday. Shuttles will run until the concerts are over each night.
“Convenience is key for the Secret City Festival, and we are doing everything we can to get participants to all points across the city as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said festival coordinator, Jane Gibson.
“Riders will easily get on and off the bus at different points to really maximize their festival experience.”
An official map for the festival shows all the stops on-site and is available at www.SecretCityFestival.com. Stops are planned at the flagpole in front of the Oak Ridge Library, the International Friendship Bell, at the Oak Ridge City Center across from Tinseltown theaters, and at the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE).
New for 2008 will be a shuttle dedicated specifically to take visitors to the Lavender Festival in Historic Jackson Square. This shuttle will depart from the Civic Center, and will run continuously until 4 PM.
Comfort hubs will be set up at AMSE, the City Center, and the Civic Center. An additional comfort hub has been added at Jackson Square on Saturday. Additionally, a bus will be stationed at the International Friendship Bell stop at the conclusion of the World War II Re-enactment.
Gibson is looking forward to the festival this year and sees the need for off-site parking to be a good problem. “These are definitely the right kind of problems to have,” she said. “After all, a need for large amounts of parking shows evidence that the community has really embraced this festival and is boosting attendance levels.”
The free shuttles are sponsored by Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge.
The 6th Annual Secret City Festival is presented by the City of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Arts Council of Oak Ridge. This year’s festival sponsors are B&W Y-12 and the City of Oak Ridge, and the media sponsors are The Oak Ridger, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, WBIR-TV, Comcast, and BBB Communications. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.SecretCityFestival.com or call the information line at (865) 425-3610.
Contact: Nicky Reynolds